AR Notes/S03
Having come from Brekstad on a mission to clear the land of Taldric Greymane, the party finds themselves with many questions and few answers. They have fought and killed most of the goblins inhabiting the region, including Klibrik, the goblin shaman. She had in her possession a strange pyramid which seemed to be made of burnished silver, and was covered with strange decorative and arcane marks and tracery. They also have in their possession the journal of a young upstart explorer, an arcane researcher by the name of Onmund Melowith. Onmund noted in his journal that he was part of an exploratory guild based in Port Zigall, called the Grand Independent Venture Bureau (the GIV-B). The party has also saved a prisoner of the goblins from certain death - a human man in dark clothes with a wide-brimmed hat. He has shown proficiency with knife-throwing and a grim demeanor. The Stranger The man calls himself Pathias (PATH-ee-us), and he will say that he is here on business from the capitol, investigating these ruins. He will also let loose that he is an agent for the Empire, if pressed. He will deflect or refrain from answering further questions on the subject, merely saying that the information is secret and to speak of his business would risk danger to himself. His true business is to investigate the strange magical readings the capitol has been finding in the area. He is a Riftwalker ranger, and the capitol believed the readings to be indicative of a portal nearby. His things have been taken by the goblins, but he owns (and will find): *Map of the area *Cartographer's tools *Navigator's tools *100gp, as well as blank Ministry Bank Notes *Riftwalker Corps sigil *Rations for 10 days In the way of weapons, he carries *Wand of Fireballs (nonpermanent) *Riftwalkers' Satchel (can conjure food, kindling, other basic supplies) *Rapier *Heavy Dual-Action Crossbow *3 concealable knives *10 throwing knives Onmund's Belongings The party has already found the journal: Clues can lead them to discover that the wizard was carrying an artifact of great importance and that inscriptions led him to believe that the main site ____ the development of ____ was located somewhere east of the _____ mountains. The astral coordinates should have been 128.5, 223.6, but recent clues lead.... (rest of location is illegible) Details can also be found of his previous exploit, showing "Old metal tablets and maps from _______ (lots of things illegible) cross referenced with data from the laboratory under the Hilfigen Peaks lead him to believe that Brekstad would be a good place to start his search." The index in the back of the journal has many coordinates listed, but the sections that mention the Hilfigen Peaks do have footnotes that list coordinates. Note: Improvised additional information. *Garoth was mentioned as a city that Onmund (and the GIV-B) was trying to find. *Moradin was mentioned as the primary deity of the dwarves, an artificer-crafter god *Barukk is a stepping-stone along the way - Onmund has found hints of this location, and believes it may point to Garoth This wizard was part of an exploratory guild based in Port Zigall, called the Grand Independent Venture Bureau (the GIV-B). Onmund's corpse and loot can be found as offerings in the tomb, in the central chamber. These include: *120gp *Component Pouch *Spellbook *Notes, including contacts - Darrian Theodrus (Genasi) The Temple / Tomb The temple is a small courtyard, ruined and overgrown, in front of a barrow-like construction in the side of a small hill. The goblins have fortified the ruin but have also set up camp around it. The camp is a small one, about 50-60 strong. The goblins have created a boulder trap in front of the entrance that doubles as a crushing trap and a way to seal the entrance when necessary. Within the entrance, there is a tunnel / passage that winds downwards to about 50 feet below the earth. By the looks of the ruin, the architecture is vaguely dwarven, though more elegant than most examples of ancient dwarven architecture - perhaps elemental. Motifs on the walls are covered and defaced with crude goblin carvings and runes praising Grumsh and exalting his holy four-point. Beneath the carvings a skilled eye could depict sailships and depictions of the elements - fire, water, earth, air - amid geometric designs and script in old dwarvish runes. At the end of the passageway there is an antechamber, which has been decorated with animal skins and a few humanoid heads (mostly rotted or entirely skulls) - offerings to Grumsh. Jars of teeth and bones as well as mouldering fruits lay there, as well as buckets and buckets of riverstones - a lot of offerings for such a goblin tribe, which is not normally religious. To one side of the passage is Klibrik's quarters, and to the other is a worship room. Straight ahead is the sanctum, which looks like (DC 15+ Hist / Religion check) it might be a grand tomb rather than a temple. Upon where the sarcophagus was / is, there stands now a large statue on a block of rough-hewn stone, depicting Grumsh as a great, strong goblin. He holds a bugbear and an elf in one enormous hand, both dead, and in the other a small silvery pyramid, aloft. He looks down with pride and challenge in his expression. Throughout the structure, there are carvings in Dwarvish speaking of Moradin and his blessing. If they can be deciphered, they will speak of greater civilization, telling a tale of how this dwarf (Kathra Stoutgrip) was noble in the city of Garoth, and that her work was equally noble - she assisted with the fabricators and artisans in creating the greatest work of the dwarven age - the City of Fire, powered with metal and magic in a way no divine alone could replicate. The inscription speaks too of the greatness of this work - a marriage of machine and magic, natural and arcane, with divine blessing. By melding all of the strongest forces in the planes, they created a city that could carry their people to new greatness across the stars, to seek the divine and stamp out all who opposed them. The inscription notes that she is buried in the spot where she fell, prey to an ancient horror of the deep, as their ship landed for supplies. It also notes that her hometown was Barrukk, nestled beneath the Hilfigen Peaks. The Strange Pyramid In the central chamber of the temple, underground and guarded by as many goblins as can guard it, lies the power core. It is a bright, silvery pyramid made of metal, about the size of a human head. It is held in the hand of a regal goblin statue, which looks like it should have taken many craftsmen a long time to make using casts and metalworking tools. The core is presided over by a goblin shaman who bears the mark of a pyramid tattooed on his forehead and used in his clothing. In terms of effect, the pyramid channels Natural and Soul magic through it, and was forged using an infinitesimal fraction of a Divine Spark. When used correctly, it would be housed in a device that would compensate for these three types of magic and channel them appropriately into the device to power the enchantments on a ship, as a sort of "activate-able fabrial". In its' current state, the pyramid is a bit unpredictable, and with the proper influences applied to it, the pyramid can produce marvelous or unstable effects. The pyramid's rules can be found on the right. When activated properly, the pyramid opens each side slightly, making it into a 12-sided object instead of 4-sided. This happens if it is exposed to the housing of a ship and exposed to a burst of transmutation magic. "Identify"-ing the pyramid would only reveal that it is a fabrial. Its attunement can be discerned with a DC 18 Arcana check. This check is DC 12 if a spell has been cast through the pyramid within the past minute. A creature proficient in such knowledge can learn another fact about it through 1-2 hours of study and a DC 18 Arcana check. The Conclusion When the party returns, the goliath who commissioned them will be spending the remainder of the day in the inn where the party spends the night. (Delay the party till nightfall by any means necessary). The party will hear commotion in the inn as agents of the empire (a rook?) interrogate him and drag him away. Hopefully the party will have enough motivation to pursue the other parts of the power cores Category:AR Notes